Over decades of working in worship ministry situations, there are a whole lot of random issues that are common to many teams. These are wide and varied – anything from tech problems, to musician challenges, worship leaders issues… the list is endless and yet common.
So what I want to do over the next couple of posts (or more) is try and deal with the ones that I have constantly encountered. The issues are a bit random, but all are common issues that occur and recur in teams.
Let me begin with a personal “red flag”. I am not a technician (so apologies to those who have technical answers), nor expert on everything, but I’ve had to deal with every single issue myself, and so I will share what I have done that works for me … so, those with more knowledge on these things than I have, please be patient, and feed into the conversation with your expertise and experiences.
Here we go with some random issues…
- How do I get my drummer to play in time? (I’m tempted here to mention some drummer jokes, but I guess you know them!). Here’s some things I have done that have not just helped but fixed the issue.
- Get the drummer to play to a click track (headphones/ear buds in the ears). There are aps available free or cheap online that enables the musician to enter songs with tempos that can be put into a song arrangement known as a set list, on your phone! You can use a blinking light or a click (clicks seem to be the most accurate and preferred option). Our drummer uses Tempo for under $5.
- Get the drummer to focus on getting the snare (or off beat) in time – focus on the snare, and magically everything else seems to fit. Why? Not sure, but I’ve used this many times with great (not perfect) success instantly!
- Play more simply. Drummers will loose time if they are playing lots of “fills” (drum rolls etc). Cut out the fills, or simplify them and get them to focus on the groove – especially the rhythmic relationship between kick drum & snare.
- What do I do when singers come in at different times? This has been a recent question and here’s what I suggested …
- Count. Most people don’t count, yet everyone needs to at some level. The best musicians – even orchestra conductors – count.
- Have a signal. This could be a musical one that can’t be missed, or a physical one like a small nod of the head (typically used of music directors etc for the end of songs)
- Take your cue from the leader. Watch the worship leader (assuming they don’t have the problem) – I did this just last Sunday, and did not miss a cue.
- Ensure the introduction to the song is clear and consistent. At the end of each pre-service rehearsal, go through the introductions to all the songs, any segues, and outros as well. Clarity and practice is vital.
- If all else fails, ask them what they need to help them come in on time. You might even begin here.
Well there’s a couple of common issues I’ve been asked about, and hopefully amongst those, you might find some solutions. Next blog, I’ll tackle a couple more, but meanwhile, feel free to share your own solutions, and of course, some issues or problems you may have with worship team cohesion. I can’t promise to answer everything, but will give it my best.
Leave a comment below and share your thoughts
John
[mc4wp_form id=”48″]
Great article John!
As a drummer myself I find using click track the only and consistent way to stay in time. Apps such as tempo allows you to create a set list of different tempos which make transitioning between songs quick and effortless.
Since you didn’t go there with the drummer jokes I will 😉 hopefully this one won’t be a reality in any church with the use of click track!
-What did the drummer say to the band leader?
“Do you want me to play too fast or too slow?”
Thanks Natalie. Great advice – and a drummer joke I haven’t heard before. Love it.
A common problem for drummers in smaller churches is lack of foldback which makes it harder to stay in time. If you can’t hear the rest of the band you can’t work in unity. Making sure the drummer has foldback makes a big difference.
Absolutely correct – foldback is essential for drummers. I would also add that the band relies on drummers to keep them in time. I have found once with a drummer who relied on the worship leader to keep in time, never did. Thanks for your input – great reminder.